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President Donald Trump on Wednesday highlighted what he described as positive economic and public-safety developments, citing record stock market gains and a drop in crime in Washington, D.C.
In posts on Truth Social, the president said the market had reached new highs as major indexes rallied. The Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 both climbed to record levels, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose sharply during the trading session.
“Stock Market hit an ALL-TIME HIGH TODAY. Jobs & 401-K’s are BOOMING!” he wrote.
The market gains came as oil prices declined following signs that tensions involving Iran could ease, after earlier increases had pushed gasoline prices close to $4.50 per gallon nationwide.
U.S. stock futures moved higher Tuesday after markets ended lower Monday in the wake of President Donald Trump’s announcement of “Project Freedom.”
The U.S. military reported destroying six Iranian small vessels and intercepting Iranian cruise missiles and drones after Tehran allegedly tried to interfere with commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump warned that any Iranian attack on American ships would be met with overwhelming force, saying those vessels would be “blown off the face of the Earth.” However, he stopped short of confirming whether a U.S. military strike was forthcoming.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. economy added 178,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in March, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3%.
Health care, construction and transportation sectors accounted for much of the hiring growth, while federal government employment continued to shrink. Labor force participation and broader measures of unemployment were largely stable, although the number of long-term unemployed Americans increased slightly.
President Trump also pointed to crime trends in the nation’s capital, saying, “Washington D.C. CRIME is at its lowest point in 30 years, plus.”
The claim comes as the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia has taken disciplinary action against 13 officers accused of misreporting crime data. The officers have not been fired but were issued termination notices that they may challenge through the appeals process.
